Bridget O'Brien

Associate Producer of News and Public Affairs

Bridget O'Brien produces WLRN's The Florida Roundup as well as morning newscasts. A long-time public radio geek, she feels that audio journalism can take a story beyond text and allows listeners to truly connect through the power of voice. With a background in drama, she brings a theatrical element to everything she does.

Bridget is a Miami native and graduated from Florida State University. After spending some time on the West Coast as producer at a local station in Sarasota, she was happy to return home and join WLRN’s team.

Last January, gunman Esteban Santiago allegedly killed five and injured six at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Even though it only took Broward Sheriff's deputies 90 seconds to detain Santiago, for the next 12 hours the airport was a scene of chaos, with false reports of gunshots, passengers stranded and authorities struggling to manage the crisis.

With less than three weeks left to go in Florida's 2017 Legislative Session, state Senate leaders have found themselves suddenly confronted with arguably the most uncomfortable situation they've had to face in some time.

Finding statistics on officer-involved shootings is challenging because there is currently no national or even state record of these incidents. But, a Tampa Bay Times investigation has collected records from all of Florida's law enforcement agencies to create a database of police shootings between 2009 and 2014.

By next month, hotel taxes from Airbnb guests will be collected and paid in two South Florida counties. Both the Miami-Dade and Broward County commissions approved separate agreements this week with the home-sharing site over the counties' taxes and hotel rooms.

Miami-Dade County has inked a deal with Airbnb for the home-sharing company to collect and pay hotel taxes. Yet, the city of Miami and Miami Beach continue to pushback against the service and its hosts.

The Broward County Public School District School Board passed a formal resolution that aims to protect students from executive immigration actions. Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County public schools have similar policies, but Broward is the first to adopt an official resolution.

Miami-Dade County's new policy to help the Federal government detain undocumented immigrants faced its first legal challenge. The practice was adopted in late January by Mayor Carlos Gimenez following President Donald Trump's executive order threatening "sanctuary cities" with funding cuts.

Miami is the second worst city in the Country, next to San Francisco, when it comes to finding affordable hosing. So if you're looking to buy a home in Miami-Dade, where do you go? The Miami Herald has a new tool to help people find homes to fit their price-range. We speak with the reporter behind the special report Nick Nehamaas.